BACKWARD GLANCES - Crew takes wrecking ball to dam

See what was happening in Redwood Falls 50, 25, and 10 years ago this week.

By Joshua Dixon, Staff Writer

Redwood Falls Gazette

By Joshua Dixon, Staff Writer

Posted May. 3, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated May 3, 2012 at 2:14 AM

By Joshua Dixon, Staff Writer

Posted May. 3, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated May 3, 2012 at 2:14 AM

Redwood Falls, Minn.

1962—50 years ago
• The Redwood Falls airport set up bright reflective signs by the runway, reminding pilots to “Use Your Check List” for safety.
• RFHS art instructor Donald Larsen’s evening art classes for adults displayed nearly 50 works in the front window of Beecher Drug.
• RFHS student Eugene Dahms, 17, received the FFA’s highest honor — the state farmer degree — at the 33rd annual state FFA convention in St. Paul.
• Lorene Annis was crowned poppy queen of the Redwood Falls Veterans of Foreign Wars auxiliary.
• Five hundred day-old chicks were flown from their Redwood Falls poultry farm to be used as breeding stock in Beirut, Lebanon.
1987—25 years ago
• A construction crew armed with a wrecking ball punched holes in the Lake Redwood dam so the lake could be drained for dam repairs.
• Three Redwood Falls-Morton High School seniors — Craig Russell, Stacy Christopherson, and Timothy Rose — competed in the state speech tournament in Roseville.
• Redwood Falls-Morton High School science teacher John Clementson was named the outstanding teacher of the year by his peers.
• Teachers Ben Broberg and Evelyn Okins, along with elementary principal Richard Moonier, announced they would be retiring from the public school at the end of the school year.
• The 48th annual Redwood Falls/Redwood County picnic was held in Riverside, California, with current or former Redwood area residents throughout California invited to attend.
2002—10 years ago
• Less than two weeks after the town hit an April near-record high of 91 degrees, Redwood was hit with a blizzard.
• One hundred and seven couples took part in the RVHS prom “Mystery of Atlantis”, the first prom held during a blizzard.
• Kohlrabi seeds were the best sellers at Running’s annual spring seed sale, while turnip seeds mostly just sat on the shelves.
• Native American storyteller Dovie Thomason of Washington D.C. visited Reede Gray Elementary School to tell traditional stories.
To commemorate the day, the kids got out clay and sculpted clay ponies in her honor.
• Jack Nelson and Ashley Christopherson were named the Redwood Falls Legion and Legion Auxiliary representatives to Boys and Girls State.